Egypt’s Governor of Dumyat (Damietta), Manal Awad Mikhail, has been chosen for membership of Réseau des Femmes Elues Locales d’Afrique (REFELA), as one of the nine members for North African countries. Mikhail is the second woman to act as governor in Egypt, and the first Coptic woman to hold that position.
Governor Mikhail’s selection was announced through the 8th summit of the United Cities and Local Government (UCLG) held in the Moroccan city of Marrakech last November. The event gathered over more than 8,000 participants from 53 countries across the continent and it has been the gathering in which the African municipal movement has tackled, with a hopeful perspective, the most important, and even painful, issues of the region.
Egypt’s active participation was praised by the official authorities and organisations through the event, especially that the country is preparing to hold the presidency of the African Union in 2019.
REFELA has become an integral part of UCLG Africa and represents locally elected women officials within the global Women’s Commission of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG Women).
Watani International
16 December 2018